Since 1940, road salt use in the United States has escalated from roughly 0.28 to over 16 million metric tons annually. This long-term, intense deicing use has created environmental concerns – typically over surface water quality, aquatic life, and vegetation. Recent work, however, also ties road salt use to rising chloride (Cl-) concentrations in groundwater supplies.

Department

Iowa Waste Reduction Center

Comments

First published in IGWA UnderGround, (Summer 2014), pp. 16-19, published by the Iowa Groundwater Association.